What Is a Carbide Bit?

A carbide bit is a type of tool attachment made out of a specialized metal alloy. Carbide is properly called tungsten carbide and is a specific combination of those two materials. The actual definition of tool bit varies slightly, but it is always the specific part of a tool that contacts the worked material. A carbide bit is much harder than steel, but it is also more brittle. As a result, many larger bits are made of cemented carbide or steel with a brazed carbide tip.

Tungsten carbide is an equal mixture of tungsten and carbon. When the alloy is created, it is typically made as a fine gray powder. This powder is compressed into the desired shape using a modified die-casting process. After hardening into its new shape, this material is extremely hard and can withstand heat that would melt other metals.

In its common form, tungsten carbide is very brittle. While the metal itself is very hard, a carbide plate can break with even slight impacts. To offset this problem, tungsten carbide is often combined with metallic cobalt to create cemented carbide. During the formation process, cobalt liquefies at a much lower temperature than tungsten carbide. This allows the liquid metal to ‘soak in’ to the carbide, greatly increasing its strength.

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